Ammunition



Patented Mar. 15, I938 uommutrrore Eflvllgeucrt, 6cm. costumes to Homeimgton sirens @ouuuouy, inc, 9, ooworottozn oi Delovrure it itjl,

The present invention comprises the wholly novel concept of acceleratingand controllingthe performance of ammunition priming mixtures by the useof a substance or substances having catalytic properties.

The reaction of a mtuture when struck a blow may be regarded. asessentially the com bustion of a fuel with o, flame of substantiallength anti duration. oxygen necessary combustion is present in the formof e co pound containing substantial quan ity gen which becomesavailable for reactio the fuel under comiitious oi and pressure.necessary couoliti l cluceol by the decomposition an crept credientunder of a shunt blow. priming mixtures the pest has been ueces sary tocarefully S81E65} auol combine particular oxidizers, fuels andexplosives, in order to insure certainty of combustion with the propercharacteristics. The problem has been particw larly dificult with themore stable non-corrosive oxidizers, such as barium nitrate, which yieldtheir oxygen only at relatively high temperatures.

The discovery has now been made that the properties and combustioncharacteristics of priming mixtures can. be improved and controlled bythe introduction into the mixture of a small amount of one or morecatalysts. Such catalysts may be either oxides or substances capable ofexudation. They are used in amounts oi such small proportions that theycannot be considered themselves to enter into the reaction, either asoxidizers or as fuels; instead, they act as true catalysts, merelyfacilitating the reactions among other ingretiients enol urobalclythemselves remaining substantially unchanged. The effect of the catalystis such that in some instances the reaction temperature is substantiallylowered.

A marked improvement in sensitiveness and powder igniting capacity ofprimers including such relatively sluggish oxidizers as barium nitratehas been efilected by the use of catalysts. Their utility, however, isnot limited to use in conjunction with any particular oxiers, fuels, orexplosives, or any particular combinations thereof. Suitable explosiveor combustion initiating and sensitizing ingredients include suchsubstances as lead styphnate, diazoclinitrophenol, mercury fulminate,normal and basic lead. azicle, basic leadpicrate, the lead salts of (11-and trinitro benzol, the lead salts of dinitro-ortho cresol, the leadsalts of dinltrosalicylic acid, tetrazene and its salts, the saltsofnltro-tetrazole, azo' Application use;

phosuiute, and lead oliuitrophenyl undo.

oxidizing ingredients include one or more of the usual olilorates,perchlorates, Ell" eliminates, permanganetes and uerouiues. fuelsiucluele untiny sulphide, leuel sulr .ocyonete, calcium silioiue,ferro=silicou, anti gr-ctmsium errocyanitlel of the aiorerneri ticombustion initiating and. sensitizing iucuts likewise react fuels.

lee suits include potassium oicluromate, sodiiuru tuugetate, eotassiumstennate, and. mercuric cluom'ate. The presence of even minutequantities of such catalysts has been founoi to be very neiicial. it isimpracticable to specify the imum amount of catalyst that will give theocsireti results, owing both to substantial variations among difierentcetelysts and to the clifi= cuity of securing uniform distribution ofvery small oerceutegesoi one solid material throughout a rnixtuie ofother solid materials. It may he said, however, that the optimum amountof catalyst rarely exceet's 2% and ordinarily clues not exceed 1% of theentire mixture. Larger quantities of certain catalysts, for example theoxides of cobalt, have been found to actually cleatleu a mixtme,renuerinc it less sensitive to blow.

A typical mixture comprises suitable proporticns of tetrazene, lean?styphnote, barium nitrate, lead suipl'iocyanate amt glass, with up toabout 1% of such a catalyzer as platinum, silver, bisinuth, bismuthtrioxide, manganese dioxide,cobali coloult, nickel, pellariium andpleltinum. a

tic oxidecobaltous oxide or soul tungstate. The

nitrate, and not over 2% of a catalyst having the property ofaccelerating and lowering the temperature of reaction between the bariumnitrate and the fuel, said catalyst being selected from the groupconsisting of the metals, mixtures and alloys of the metals, themetallic oxides, and the salts of the metallo acids.

2. A priming mixture containing a fuel ingredient, a combustioninitiating explosive, an oxidizing salt, and a small percentage of acatalyst having the property of accelerating the reaction between theoxidizing salt and the fuel, said catalyst being anoxide of bismuth.

3. A priming mixture containing a fuel ingredient, an oxidizingingredient, and an oxide of centage of a catalyst having the property ofaccelerating the reaction between the oxidizing ingredient, and the fuelingredient, said catalyst being a finely divided metal.

5. A priming mixture containing a fuel ingredient, an oxidizingingredient, and a small percentage of a catalyst having the property ofaccelerating the reaction between the oxidizing ingredient and the fuelingredient, said catalyst comprising finely pulverized silver.

6. A priming mixture containing a fuel ingredient, an oxidizingingredient, and a small per centage of a catalyst having the property ofaccelerating the reaction between the oxidizing ingredient and the fuelingredient, said catalyst comprising finely pulverized lead.

WILLI BRiiN.

